Klara and the Sun
“Mr Capaldi believed there was nothing special inside Josie that couldn’t be continued. He told the Mother he’d searched and searched and found nothing like that. But I believe now he was searching in the wrong place. There was something very special, but it wasn’t inside Josie. It was inside those who loved her.” ― Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun
Klara is an "artificial friend" or what we usually think of as an android. While looking lifelike when seen from the outside, the reader is presented with a narrative told by Klara and thus sees the world from her perspective -- inside her head. The sun is, for Klara, the source of her energy and we see the sun from her perspective as well; it is an almost spiritual connection for her. When a young girl named Josie, sickly but intelligent, sees Klara in the window of the store she knows that this is the artificial friend that is meant for her.
Klara goes to live with Josie and her mother and the story of their life together is at the heart of the novel. We see the impact of human emotions on Klara, but we also are presented with the argument as stated by Mr Capaldi that there is "nothing special" inside humans - that they are not very different from the machines that are their artificial friends. The narrative demonstrates the flaw in that argument and brings home the truth about what makes each individual human special. The story of their time together and how Klara develops into a very special friend for Josie is one of the most remarkable stories I have encountered in my reading experience. It presents the reader with the power of the sun, but also the power of love and how that can transcend the distance between human and machine.
An amazing tour de force by one of my favorite authors. A speculative look at the not too distant future told by an android or as the narrative calls her, an artificial friend. What impressed me most was Ishiguro's ability to create a believable image of the world from the point of view of a machine and maintain it consistently. That being said this book is as much about relationships and feelings that are as human as possible. The world of the future with humans and machines has never been brought to life in a more realistic and moving way, Highly recommended for all who wonder at the nature of man and his machines.
An amazing tour de force by one of my favorite authors. A speculative look at the not too distant future told by an android or as the narrative calls her, an artificial friend. What impressed me most was Ishiguro's ability to create a believable image of the world from the point of view of a machine and maintain it consistently. That being said this book is as much about relationships and feelings that are as human as possible. The world of the future with humans and machines has never been brought to life in a more realistic and moving way, Highly recommended for all who wonder at the nature of man and his machines.
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